Q: I believe last summer you wrote an article about using indoor TV antennas. The cost from my cable provider just got bumped up to $143 a month. Yikes. So I’m wondering which antenna you might suggest so that I can get my television for free using an antenna instead of paying a cable provider. — Carol Rabaut
A: When it comes to using an antenna to get television the old-fashioned way, one size and type don’t fit all. For some, usually those really close to the transmitter sites for television stations, a simple rabbit ear will work great. I use cable, but I do also have a very basic rabbit ear antenna and I get literally dozens of stations. But if I lived a long way from transmitter sites then I’d need a much more elaborate antenna. Sometimes that means using an outdoor antenna up fairly high and it can even mean that I’d need a rotor to turn the antenna toward some of the stations I wanted to receive.
And since I don’t know where Carol lives, I can’t even begin to make a suggestion. However, there is a great way for her — or for anyone — to find out the type of antenna needed.
There’s a service called Antenna Web (www.antennaweb.org) that uses your home address and its database of television stations around the country. You simply type in your address, or even just your ZIP code for those reluctant to reveal an exact address, and it will show you how far away you are from the stations in your area as well as other information such as the direction from your house to that station if you need a rotor. It will also use that information to recommend the type of antenna you need to get good reception. It’s a great service.
A squirrel died to bring you this column.
It was a beautiful day — full sunshine, just a gentle breeze, so none of the usual suspects was around to blame for the power going out at my house. But there it was — the TV no longer entertained and the microwave was just a big empty box.
Later I saw the power crew working and asked what happened. It turned out that a squirrel had built a nest in a transformer. He left this world in a flash of light.
There are all sorts of reasons why the lights go out. And there are just as many ways to make that experience less of a hassle. It’s one of those experiences that teach the unprepared that having a flashlight isn’t enough, especially when dark comes. But if you don’t prepare now, it’s a painful lesson.
So let’s talk now about ways to get some light on the situation. And the tiny focused beam of a flashlight isn’t enough. At one time I recommended fluorescent camping lanterns. That’s because they don’t draw much battery power and they put out a big swath of light that will let you read, cook and relax. And they still work just fine. But nowadays I recommend LED camping lanterns. They put out more light and are even easier on batteries than a fluorescent lantern. I gave mine a test by accident the other day. I had it on while I worked beneath the kitchen sink. Repair done, I closed the cabinet, forgetting that the light was still under there burning bright. I discovered it two days later, still working.
While you are at the store picking up a lantern — they are easy to find at any large big-box store, or you can see an assortment on Amazon — grab some batteries as well. We’re talking good old-fashioned batteries, not the rechargeable kind. An alkaline battery — unlike a rechargeable — will last for years if stored away unused.
When the lights go out there are times when something serious, even life-threatening, is behind the outage. It may be a giant storm or an invasion of zombies. That means you’ll want to keep up with the news. The easiest way to do that is with a small battery-powered radio. They’re easy to find. But I recommend you go one step beyond that and get an AM/FM radio that includes the ability to pick up National Weather Service broadcasts. If there’s still a Radio Shack in your neighborhood, that’s an option. Or you can go to Amazon and find an assortment of radios like that for very little money.
Most times power outages are fairly short — an hour or less — but I’ve been unfortunate enough to be in several that lasted days. When that happens to you the devices that depend on rechargeable batteries — cellphones for instance — begin to die. Your cell may be the most important way to communicate in a disaster. That’s why I own more than one UPS (uninterruptible power supply). You probably know they provide backup AC power for your computer when the power goes out. But they also can be used to charge small devices like your cellphone. So I keep an extra, not connected to a computer. It’s like a filling station for your rechargeables — just plug them in.
A tablet computer or a small desktop computer is handy to have during a long power outage. It can furnish news and even entertainment. The lines that bring the Internet into your house often are still alive in a power outage. So if you can keep the modem and router going with a UPS — after all, they don’t draw much power — you can still stream Internet service to a battery-powered tablet or laptop.
I acknowledge that there are many more elaborate and more expensive ways to cope with a power outage. Several of my neighbors have natural gas-powered generators that kick in automatically when the power goes out. I think they’re a great idea. And if that fits your needs and pocketbook (they have dropped in price to a few thousand dollars), go for it. I haven’t taken the jump, but they do work great. One friend said that he literally didn’t know there was a power outage the other day. His generator kicks in that fast.
I hope some of this will help push back the darkness for you the next time the lights go out. And if it helps, well you can thank that suicidal squirrel.
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